It’s a replica of a Roman triumphal arch originally built in Palmyra, Syria. Destroyed by the terrorist group ISIS during the current Syrian Civil War, the Institute for Digital Archaeology used 3-D printing to rebuild the arch. Since then, the arch has been on a kind of world tour, appearing near global summits and in important cities.

But the arch isn’t just a Roman ruin. It was originally an arch for the Temple of Baal, a terrible pagan god repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament. The rites of Baal were marked by child sacrifice and ritual prostitution. And many Christians find it strange that such a god keeps being honored or invoked repeatedly at global summits.

“When looking at this phenomenon, we have to understand the nature of the god involved,” he explained. “Baal was the god that Israel turned to after it turned away from the God of Scripture. He was the substitute god, the replacement god, the anti-God god – the god of their turning away, their fall. Baal was the god of the apostasy.”

Cahn argues what happened to ancient Israel is now happening to the post-Christian West.

“We are now witnessing a massive apostasy taking place all over Western civilization, a large scale falling away from the God of Scripture,” he said. “So to see the sign of Baal manifesting throughout the modern world is stunning. It is the sign of a civilization rapidly turning away from its faith and falling away from the knowledge of God.”

This mini-revival, Cahn maintains, is also so ominous because it is so unlikely.

“Keep in mind that Baal was worshiped in a relatively small portion of the globe and little known in modern times outside the Bible,” he said. “So for the arch that led to his temple to now manifest in the modern world goes against all odds.”

Cahn further explained the characteristics of Baal are uncannily linked to the sins of the modern world.

“Baal was the god linked to materialism, the pursuit of increase and gain,” he said. “He was linked to sexual immorality, carnality and licentiousness. He was also the god upon whose altar babies were lifted up as human sacrifices. So perhaps it is a striking phenomenon to see the sign of Baal in the modern world as we are again being given to materialism, sexual immorality, carnality, licentiousness and the offering up of babies to destruction – not thousands as in the case of Israel, but, in the case of abortion, millions – sacrificed on the altars of self-obsession.”

Indeed, some see the return of the arch of Baal not just as a harbinger or as a sign but as something with a deliberately sinister purpose. Rabbi Daniel Asore, a member of the nascent Sanhedrin, told Breaking Israel News he believes the arch of Baal is part of a sinister agenda to draw people away from the God of the Bible.

“The arch is the first step in that process, awakening an interest in people to paganism and as a focal point for world leaders to gather around,” he claimed in the publication.

“I believe there is a definite spiritual pattern developing before our eyes and there is a connection here that much of the world may be missing,” he told WND. “There is no coincidence in the specific locations chosen for the Baal symbol to make its appearances. In the spiritual realm, it is as if Satan is ‘marking’ his territory, preparing for his one-world government dominance through the system of the coming Antichrist. And the leaders of the world are gladly doing his bidding – even summonsing his presence and ‘blessings.’

“It is also as if Satan’s spiritual claim is being laid upon the financial and government capitals of the world, a move that symbolizes the eventual interconnection of the planet – the biblically stated goal of Satan’s last days’ plan. The secular mind will miss these spiritual implications entirely, but those who know anything about the historical and spiritual significance of Baal and its deep connection to biblical prophecy of the end times can easily make the connection.”

“The spirit of Antichrist and the coming one-world government concept is stronger than at any other time in history,” the pastor said. “We are on the edge of the days of Noah and Lot that Jesus proclaimed would accompany the time of His return.

“The spirit of Baal – sexual perversion, licentiousness, power and wealth – is undoubtedly sweeping the planet in an unprecedented manner. And, now, its display in major economic and world power centers – coinciding with spiritually important events – is a little too much coincidence to be mere coincidence.”

“I believe there is resurgence in paganism and occult worship,” he told WND. “I believe this is a top-down driven attempt. This arch very well could be the catalyst to build a pagan temple on the Temple Mount, especially with UNESCO trying to delegitimize Israel’s history to the location.”

“Our lost world is made up of lost people who act like their nature dictates,” he said. “The world is directing this. But what is surprising to me, but probably shouldn’t be, is how many believers aren’t aware of the condition the world is in. They go about their lives as if the Messiah will never come. They are not realizing He is standing at the door!”

To some, the whole episode may seem overblown. After all, it’s not a literal temple to Baal but merely a reconstruction. However, Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries believes the arch should be taken seriously. More importantly, she argues there are indeed powerful forces knowingly using occult symbolism.

“I see the Arch of Palmyra as a harbinger of defiance and I am concerned that it is not a harbinger of anything good,” she told WND. “Ancient Israel turned to Baal and paganism and drove God out of its midst. There is increasing defiance and God-hatred all around the world. There is a rise of the dark side – of blatant occultism.”

Markell provided an additional example of how global elites have been using such imagery.

The bottom line, said Markell, is believers should not dismiss these concerns, especially given everything else which is happening today.

“I believe it is no accident that this arch representing ancient evil is manifesting itself again,” Markell told WND. “The world wants to crush any aspect of God today and exalt things that are dark. The New World Order is not some conspiracy theory. I believe it is a precursor to Antichrist’s kingdom on earth and it is being heralded today even though we have no idea who the Antichrist is – or if he is alive and well today. Clearly the ‘spirit of the Antichrist’ is at work today.

“True believers can have nothing to do with this kind of symbolism or participate in any kind of pagan ritual. The Bible says in II Timothy 3 that in the last days evil will wax worse and worse. Believers are to flee evil and love what is good. While these are just 3-D replicas of the Arch of Palmyra, that does not make them any less evil.”